Darkblood looked at her, his eyes round with shock. A few of the listening cats gasped.

Darkblood was silent for a long time, unable to speak. Lightningscar had used her real voice, not bothering to suppress it in the slightest, like she always had in ThunderClan. It sounded like a different language entirely.

It sounded exactly like his.

Darkblood swallowed and nodded slowly. "I believe we need to talk." He told her. He turned and motioned with a flick of his tail for her to follow. She obeyed.

His den was a large place, almost like a cave in its rock formation. It was dark, very little light bleeding through in the small gap that was the entrance.

Darkblood turned to her, and silence filled the area. His watchful green eyes looked at her for a long time. Finally, he spoke. "My Shadow." He whispered. He gently touched his cheek to hers. "I thought you were dead."

"So you recognize me?"

He stepped back and nodded. "Yes. You are Shadow, one of my four kits." A bright hope entered his face. "What of the others? Are they alive? Did they survive as well?"

She nodded. "All are warriors of ThunderClan." She added with distaste.

"ThunderClan!" Darkblood spat the words with hate. "My kits, warriors of that… infestation!" He hissed, then looked at her. "And the only one brave and smart enough to escape. Shadow. My personal Shadow." He sighed. "You have your mother's eyes."

"My mother? Is she here?" Hope flashed through Lightningscar, only to disappear as Darkblood shook his head.

"She's dead, Shadow."

She swallowed. "What happened?"

"A broken heart, I'd say." Lightningscar smiled softly. He sounded exactly like Stormcloud. "She was taken in by Twolegs," he continued. "Though she constantly tried to break free. It wasn't by her will that she was taken. She gave birth to you, Ash, Thunder, and Jade there. The Twolegs wanted you dead; they hadn't realized your mother was pregnant." He sighed. "They threw you into a river. I followed them, and tried with everything I was to save you." He looked down. "But I wasn't strong enough."

She kindly pressed her muzzle to his cheek as he continued. "Your mother found a way to escape, but she was never the same. And, one day, we found her body on the Thunderpath, killed by one of the monsters." He sighed. "Often have I wondered if she walked directly in their path."

The thought sent Lightningscar's fur on end. "Don't say that, please."

He looked at her, then brightened. "You're right. There is no use living in the past. You are here. You are alive." He looked at her. "Though I believe you'll be wanting your old name…?"

She shook her head. "No."

"No?" His mew was startled, confused.

She sighed. "I chose Lightningscar because it's who I am. A warrior, but not one of theirs."

Darkblood nodded. "Of course. It is your name, and will be from this day on." He stood. "But now, we must tell the others. This is your Clan now, Lightningscar. And it shall welcome you."

He stood, and gestured for him to follow him. She did, padding softly behind him.

Darkblood stood on top of his den, where the surface was perfectly flat. He let out a blood-curdling yowl. No words tainted it, just a loud noise that sent all the cats walking over below the rock.

He purred. "I'm proud to announce a new member, who is finally ready to join us!" He motioned for Lightningscar to come next to him, and she obeyed. "My daughter, once thought dead, now back with a new name!"

Yowls of congratulations sounded in the clearing. Paws stamped against the floor, threatening to send the earth shaking. It was wonderful, in a strange way.

"Everyone, this is LIGHTNINGSCAR!" He cried. Lightningscar felt pride flash in her pelt, and felt as though the stars themselves were listening to him speak, watching with trembling hearts. Let them TREMBLE. She thought mutinously.

Yowls sounded again, the stamping of paws increasing.

Darkblood looked proudly at his daughter, and motioned for her to stand forward.

"LIGHTNINGSCAR! LIGHTNINGSCAR!" Their cries were louder than those in ThunderClan ever would have been. Ever COULD have been. This was real pride, real joy, real excitement. Nothing was fake; there was no grumbling about kittypet roots or her strange voice.

"LIGHTNINGSCAR!" The word sent her blood rushing to her ears, the roar of battle in each time they called it. "LIGHTNINGSCAR!"

Darkblood came next to her. "They want you to speak." He kindly instructed her.

The realization startled her, but she waited until their mews had died down before she began.

"I was once from ThunderClan."

Hisses filled the clearing, and claws were unsheathed, digging into the ground.

"No longer!" She spat, real hatred in her heart. "I reject them, as they REJECTED ME!"

Loud yowls of agreement sounded out.

"I am a warrior! But I am NOT one of theirs!"

More yowls.

"And if we attacked ThunderClan?" Darkblood's voice startled her. "What would you do, Daughter?"

She looked at him for a long time, before replying to everyone. "I would ask that you leave Firestar to me. Because I plan to take every single one of his lives." She replied. A dark, unnamable storm of fury raged in her eyes.

Loud yowls, screeches and cheers sounded out. "LIGHTNINGSCAR! LIGHTNINGSCAR! LIGHTNINGSCAR! LIGHTNINGSCAR! LIGHTNINGSCAR! LIGHTNINGSCAR!"

Lightningscar stood in front of them, her pelt ruffling in the breeze. A dark hatred surged through her paws. Her claws unsheathed, digging into the earth as though it was Firestar's throat.

"Look out, ThunderClan." She hissed. "We're coming for YOU."


Bushface stared out into the trees. "I know you're there, Firestar."

Firestar came away from the ferns below the trees, an amused purr rumbling in his throat. "I never could sneak up on you. Or your kin."

Bushface shrugged. "It's what we do."

Firestar sighed. "Bushface… did I do the right thing? I mean, you of all people would know what was best for your sister."

Bushface's deep amber eyes gazed deep into Firestar's. "What do you want me to say? The truth? Or what you want to hear?"

"The truth."

Bushface nodded slowly. "I believe you did the wrong thing in presuming that Lightningscar was going to leave, simply because she'd thought about it."

Firestar looked down. "I know that. But would it have made a difference if I hadn't?"

"You'd have another warrior now, instead of a ThunderClan rouge." He sighed. "But in the end, there was nothing that you could have done. Lightningscar was never happy in the Clan. She needed to go. And she would have eventually."

Firstar sighed, then suddenly said, "You think I'm weak, for asking a warrior of things I do not know."

A dark, purr rumbled in Bushface's throat. "I think you should not do it in front of the other Clans." He sighed. "But I do not believe that needing help makes a cat weak. It's not ADMITTING they need help that makes someone weak." He looked at the Clan leader. "Why?"

He sighed. "Because I feel weak. All I did for her, and she ends up hating me."


"Mountain Peak!" Darkblood called. A young she-cat bounced up to the rock. "You will show Lightningscar the camp."

Joy and excitement brightened the young cat's eyes. "Yes, sir!"

She motioned with her tail for Lightningscar to follow. She obeyed.

"This is the nursery." Mountain Peak said. She had grey fur, with a white-tipped tail and black legs. "There aren't that many kits there now, but there will be soon."

She walked to two small cave-like structures, made of rock and brambles. "That's the apprentice den, in Clan words."

"You have apprentices?"

"Sort of. When they believe they are ready, they ask Darkblood if they can change their name. They get to choose, and he announces it to the Clan." She purred. "I changed mine a moon ago."

She kept moving. "We don't have an elder's den." She said, her mew tinged with sadness. "We had a dog attack last leaf-bare, and we lost them."

Pity flashed in Lightningscar's eyes. "I'm so sorry."

Mountain Peak shrugged. "It's ok. It was a long time ago." But Lightningscar could tell that Mountain Peak was anything but over the death of the elders.

"And we don't really have a medicine cat." Mountain Peak continued. "We have a few cats who know about herbs, but that's about it."

"That must be strange." Lightningscar mused.

"Well, it would be strange for me, someone who's lived like that my whole life, to suddenly change to Clan ways."

Lightningscar's whiskers twitched. "Good point."

Mountain Peak looked at her. "You look just like Darkblood." She purred. "Imagine! I wish I was his daughter! You must be one of the best warriors EVER!"

Lightningscar chuckled. "I'm not so sure about that."

"Then why don't we test it?" Darkshadow said, suddenly coming out of the brambles. "I don't see why we shouldn't. We need to see what you can do."

Lightningscar licked her lips. "Do I sense a challenge from you, warrior?"

"That you do." Darkshadow mused.

"Do it the proper way, you two!" A voice called out. "We don't want a repeat of last time, do we?"

Darkshadow chuckled. "Yes, Iceflame." He called to the she-cat.

"What happened last time?" Lightningscar inquired.

"We destroyed half the nursery." Darkshadow replied, a purr in his throat. "We had to rebuild the whole thing."

"And what's the 'proper way'?"

Darkshadow's eyes danced. "In the clearing. With every cat watching."

Lightningscar could feel the battle raging in her paws already, her muscles ready for the fight. "Sounds simple enough."

They padded over to the clearing. Cats from all over came to watch, wondering aloud who would win. Many said it would be Darkshadow. Very few did not. Apparently, Darkshadow was a strong warrior.

Not strong enough. Lightningscar felt her lips curl back over her teeth. "Ready?" She asked.

"Are you?"

"Absolutely."

"Good." Darkshadow launched at her.

Lightningscar dodged, swiping a paw at his front legs as she passed. He fell forward, losing support of one leg. She pounced on his back before he had a chance to react.

Then she found out what the 'proper way' really meant.

Another cat leapt on Lightningscar's back. Apparently, they helped whoever was losing. Lightningscar wasn't ready, and the cat, a white tom, rolled her over onto her side, kicking at her with his back legs, claws sheathed.

Lightningscar dodged.

She didn't see any more after that. She fought to keep her claws sheathed as she dodged, weaved, and lashed out at the many cats, who all began fighting against her, one at a time. The battle roared in her ears, the fight pulsing through her. She was born for battle, born to fight.

Born for this life.

"Enough!" Darkblood's voice called out.

Lightningscar burned with shame. Everything in her wanted his approval, and she had a feeling that he was angry at her, as his tone suggested it. She looked at her claws, realizing she'd unsheathed them, and there was blood and fur caught in them.

But there was nothing but pride in her father's eyes. "I'm impressed." He said. "You just fought every cat here. And you barely have a scratch."

Lightningscar was taken off guard. EVERY cat? But… that was impossible.

"I believe the battle is yours to command." He said.

"No." She whispered. "I'm just a good fighter. Not THAT good."

He purred. "You are your mother's child. And mine." He unsheathed his claws. "I would like to see if you have the same success with me."

She looked at her father in shock. "But… sir, I couldn't…"

"Do it!" Darkshadow hissed. "Darkblood doesn't often give his warriors that opportunity!"

Lightningscar swallowed, a lump in her throat. "Y-Yes sir."

Darkblood began to circle her, his claws still unsheathed. She took that as a hint and unsheathed hers as well.

And then he launched himself at her, a blood-curdling yowl sounding in his throat.

She dodged expertly, lashing out at her father, purposely missing. She did not want to hurt the only family she had…

The thought sent her heart aching as she ducked away from his blows. Was he her only family? What about Jadeheart? Or Stormcloud? Or Bushface? Were they no longer family, but now her enemies?

She didn't think about it, allowing the rage of the battle to blind her to all else. She was a furious storm of claws and teeth and blows. This was war, and her father had brought it to himself.

Finally, her father was in front of her, panting. "Very good. Very good." He sat down, exhausted. She couldn't sit. The blood was still rushing in her ears, energy coursing through her.

She suddenly realized how silent the clearing was. Shock was written in the faces of every cat.

"LIGHTNINGSCAR!" One finally cheered. "LIGHTNINGSCAR!"

Many others took up the cry. "LIGHTNINGSCAR! LIGHTNINGSCAR!"

Her father nodded in respect, pride flashing through his pelt. "Very good, my Shadow."